Gandhinagar

The Bharatiya Janata Party organised 'Maha Aartis' at temples across Gujarat on Wednesday to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi becoming India's longest continuously serving elected prime minister, party leaders said.

Prime Minister Modi completed 4,399 uninterrupted days in office, surpassing the previous record of 4,398 days held by India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

According to a BJP statement, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel took part in a 'Maha Aarti' at the Trimandir temple in Adalaj near Gandhinagar earlier in the day.

The party also announced that Gujarat BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma would participate in a special prayer ceremony at the historic Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple in Vadnagar, Modi's hometown in Mehsana district, later in the evening.

The religious events were organised to pray for the Prime Minister's good health and long life, the release said.

The programmes form part of the BJP's campaign themed "12 years of continuous trust, development and public welfare", highlighting the achievements of the Modi government over the years.

Party leaders, elected representatives, grassroots workers and local residents were expected to participate in the 'Maha Aarti' ceremonies held at temples in districts and municipal corporations across the state.

Alongside the prayer events, cleanliness drives were also scheduled under the campaign to promote public participation and community service.

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Several ministers in the Gujarat government and senior BJP functionaries were slated to attend similar ceremonies at prominent religious sites across the state, including temples in Kutch, Vadnagar and Pavagadh, party leaders added.